While many outdoor photographers may prefer sunny and bright conditions for their shoots, overcast and cloudy weather can result in beautiful and extraordinary photos.
So look at rainy or cloudy days as an opportunity to get involved in overcast photography instead of letting them restrict you from having a fun shooting time.
Yes, bright sunny days are the best for outdoor moments. However, overcast or cloudy days offer unique advantages and possibilities to capture creative photos.
Similar Articles you may like to read –
20+ Creative Snow and Winter Photoshoot Ideas and outfit suggestions
30+ Best Poses for Graduation Photoshoot: Ideas Included
20+ best baseball portrait poses and ideas included
Modern headshots: 10 ways to create Professional portraits
You can take several incredible images despite the sun being less prominent in the sky. The key is learning how to shoot when the sun is not overly bright.
The following are the best and most essential overcast photography tips to remember as you plan and prepare for your next shoot.
Portrait photography aims at capturing the personality, character, and emotions. It can either be candid or artistic. Portrait photography requires more than just the ability to understand your camera settings, lighting, and composition.
You must also possess the ability to connect with your subjects and capture their unique qualities. So, it is a difficult but rewarding genre of photography.
Click Below to read a comprehensive guide to learning and mastering the art of portrait photography.
Is sun or overcast better for pictures?
Generally, sunlight is the best and most recommended for pictures. But overcast or cloudy days present unique opportunities for photographers to create extraordinary photos outdoors. Therefore, the answer to this question is that it all depends on your creative intentions.
1. Rightly optimize your camera setting
Cloudy or overcast days are darker, so you will need to adjust your camera settings accordingly. The most important settings are those that affect white balance (WB) and exposure.
For the white balance (WB), I suggest using the “cloudy” or “shade” presets. If you go with this setting, the color temperature of your camera will be set to between 6000-6500 kelvin. This will help prevent overly blue or cool tones in your overcast pictures by giving them an extra shot of warmth.
Apart from the WB setting, your overcast photos must be well-exposed. Therefore, the following is our recommended exposure settings for overcast photography.
ISO
Start with a low ISO setting of 100-400 (depending on how dark it is) to minimize noise and achieve high-quality images.
Related: A Guide To Set ISO For Low Light. Low Light Camera Settings.
Aperture
Use a wide aperture when doing overcast photography. This will maximize the amount of light entering your camera.
Remember, a wide aperture means a shallow depth of field. So go as wide as possible to capture the best photos on cloudy days.
Related: What is F-Stop? How Does Camera Aperture Work?
Shutter speed
Use a slower shutter speed to allow more light into your camera since lighting conditions are typically poor on a cloudy day. Then stabilize your camera with a sturdy tripod to prevent shakes.
You can shoot well-exposed images on a cloudy day with the right camera settings. You can also adjust your images’ exposure during post-processing.
2. Make your subject stand out with a pop of color
The gray or cloudy skies can make your photographs appear dull and far-fetched. But you can change the narrative with a simple pop of color.
The easiest way is to have your subject rock a brightly colored piece of clothing (such as a yellow jacket, pant, scarf, or hat) or an object (such as a colorful umbrella or flower).
Under the gray cloud, the color will stand out, becoming an eye-catching focal point in your photos. Apart from using a piece of clothing or flower, you can also use a simple, colorful prop that will make your subject appear vibrant.
When doing overcast photography, it is important to use bright color props or clothes to make the pictures appear vibrant.
3. Aim and capture the reflections
Generally, puddles and wet surfaces are easy to find after rainfall. You can and should take advantage of these reflective surfaces to capture interesting reflections of buildings, landscapes, or people.
Reflection photos are creative and portray subjects in mesmerizing ways. The best way to capture such a picture is by placing your subject close to a reflective building, floor, or wall. You may also tell your subject to stand directly or near a clean puddle of water, just as in the picture above.
4. Take black and white overcast photos
You can make your overcast images appear even more dramatic by capturing them in black and white. There are two simple ways to achieve this. You can either set your camera to monochrome mode or capture the photos as color and convert them to BW in post-processing.
Either way, you will create beautiful black-and-white overcast portraits or landscape photographs. If you are unsure of the best approach, then I recommend setting your image quality format to RAW+JPEG.
This way, you can shoot black and white images directly to your SD card in JPEG, while your camera will retain the colors in RAW format. If you are not satisfied with the BW images, you can convert them to colored later without sacrificing any data.
Related: How Do Professionals Take Black And White Portraits?
5. Pay attention to composition and framing
Composition is key to creating stunning photos, whether the lighting is poor or great. Therefore, look for leading lines, patterns, or natural framing elements (like trees and roads) that can creatively enhance your composition.
You may use the rule of thirds or any other technique. But this will depend on your subject and the kind of pictures you’d like to create. The easiest means to find the best is by experimenting.
6. Use a polarizing filter
Sure, a polarizing filter is best for sunny days. But it can help enhance colors and reduce glare and reflections from non-metallic surfaces under overcast skies.
You can also use a polarizing filter to darken the sky and make the clouds stand out even more, adding extra depth and contrast to your images.
7. Create silhouettes
An overcast sky can serve as a perfect backdrop for creating striking silhouettes. You may go through the article below to learn the best way to create beautiful silhouette images of your subjects.
How to Photograph Silhouettes? Quick Settings, Tips, and Ideas
8. Capture intimate portraits
Cloudy days offer soft and diffused lighting due to the overcast sky acting as a giant softbox.
This soft lighting helps to minimize harsh shadows. Instead, it will create an even illumination across your subjects’ faces and bodies.
Overcast lights are often soft and diffused without harsh shadows. You can use such light to capture dramatic and intimate portraits.
When doing overcast photography, you can use this soft lighting to capture intimate details and expressions of your subjects. One of the best ways to do this is to get closer to your subjects to capture intricate details.
More articles you may like to read –
10 Tips For Group Prom Poses – And Ideas Included
35 unique and fun Poses and ideas for friends group photo
35 Group Photoshoot Ideas for Small and Large Groups
20 Creative and classy birthday photoshoot concepts and ideas
9. Add interesting foreground elements to your photos
The wide expanse of gray clouds in the sky can create a sense of emptiness in your images. This can make your shots appear blunt.
However, incorporating an object or element in the foreground will give your viewers something to focus on, making your shots more engaging.
You can use any foreground element that complements the scene and your envisioned story. You may incorporate boats, trees, a rock, or any other object. But ensure the foreground element lacks the capacity to overpower your main subject.
10. Edit the images
Finally, edit the images to make them appear more creative and interesting. You may use any professional editing software of your choice.
Conclusion
Overcast photography is easy if you know the right camera settings and best tips. Consider the gray sky as a giant softbox and use it to create amazing cloudy day photographs. Finally, feel free to share your overcast photos with us through the comment box below.